The final of the 18th Challenge Cup National University Student Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Works Competition was held at Guizhou University from October 27, 2023, to October 31, 2023. After rounds of competition, our institute won two first prizes for the first time. The project Mechanism and Development Application of Shale Oil 'Production-Storage-Transportation' under Limited Space won the national first prize and the most popular work award in the Leading the List special competition, while the project Key Technologies and Equipment for Efficient Development of Heavy Oil Based on Flue Gas Resource Utilization won the first prize in the Black Technology exhibition, marking a historic breakthrough for the institute in the Challenge Cup competition.

Unveiling the list special competition scene display

  The Leading the List special competition is oriented towards national major needs, focusing on foreign blockade technologies, major social issues, and real problems. It aims to guide college students to engage in frontline scientific research to meet national major needs. The project Mechanism and Development Application of Shale Oil 'Production-Storage-Transportation' under Limited Space was created by our graduate students Song Huaisen, Zhao Fei, Tang Kaiwen, with guidance from teachers Yang Yongfei, Wang Sen, and Wang Wendong. The team addressed three major technical challenges: the difficult characterization of the kerogen thermal cracking oil production mechanism, the challenging quantification of the solid-liquid interaction strength determining the shale oil reservoir state, and the difficulty in applying mathematical models to reveal the migration law of shale oil. They proposed a kerogen thermal cracking simulation acceleration technology, a rapid quantification method for solid-liquid interactions, and three types of shale oil micro-mechanical correction equations.

Team preparation for black technology special competition

  The Black Technology special competition focuses on cutting-edge areas that can change production and lifestyle or have a certain disruptive and surpassing effect on existing technological achievements. It aims to further cultivate students' scientific and innovative consciousness and promote young university students to become a driving force for building a strong country in science and technology. The project Key Technologies and Equipment for Efficient Development of Heavy Oil Based on Flue Gas Resource Utilization was created by our graduate students Li Boliang, Xin Yan, Zhang Mengyuan, under the guidance of teachers Li Binfei, Li Zhaomin, and Zhang Chao. The team discovered that in the process of heavy oil production using steam injection, steam boilers generate a large amount of flue gas—the main source of oilfield pollutant emissions. Utilizing flue gas for auxiliary steam injection can improve the efficiency of heavy oil thermal recovery, reduce steam consumption, realize the resource utilization of flue gas, and promote green, low-carbon, and efficient development of heavy oil. Against the backdrop of the dual-carbon policy, the team studied the mechanism of flue gas-assisted steam injection, developed an optimized design method for flue gas components throughout the entire recovery cycle, and designed leveraged flue gas capture and reinjection integrated equipment suitable for mobile steam injection boilers, substantially promoting the green development and cost-effectiveness of heavy oil.

  The Challenge Cup National University Student Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Works Competition is jointly organized by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, the China Association for Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, and the National Union of Students. The competition aims to promote scientific pursuit, diligent learning, innovation, and challenge-taking among young students. Since its inception in 1989, it has been held every two years. After 18 editions, it has become a practical platform for young students, a second classroom for cultivating scientific spirit, and a tangible carrier for enhancing students' collaborative abilities and collective consciousness. It is hailed as the Olympics event for contemporary university students' scientific and technological innovation. This edition of the Challenge Cup National University Student Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Works Competition attracted over 2,000 universities, more than 400,000 works, and over 2.5 million students nationwide. It selected 117 first prizes, 203 second prizes, 377 third prizes, and 974 honorable mentions (including works from Hong Kong and Macao) in the main competition. In the Leading the List special competition, there were 105 first prizes and 21 most popular works awards, while the Black Technology exhibition featured 99 galactic-level works.